January 12, 2012 - Knoxville, Tennessee — Two Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) John J. Duncan, Jr. School of Law (LMU-DSOL) students have been selected to participate in the Tennessee Bar Association Young Lawyers Division (TBA YLD) Diversity Leadership Institute (DLI). Christine Taylor and William Trumm are part of the 17 selected individuals with dynamic and diverse backgrounds to participate in the program.

Taylor and Trumm will participate in a six-month leadership and mentoring program for Tennessee law school students in their second and third years of study. Participants will learn leadership skills, work with mentoring attorneys and participate in public service and legal education programs.

Taylor, originally from Morristown, Tenn., has lived in Campbell County since 2003. Prior to law school, Taylor worked for the United States Postal Service for 11 years. She is the widowed mother of two daughters, Wendy and Jennifer Dinwiddie. She earned a bachelor degree in sociology from Carson-Newman College. During her education she visited many places where important events in the Civil Rights Movement took place while doing independent study. She is passionate about civil rights and equal protection issues.

“I am proud to represent LMU and LMU-DSOL in this program,” Taylor said. “I do not know exactly what to expect, but I will represent the University and my fellow students to the best of my ability.”

Trumm, originally from Salem, Va., came to LMU-DSOL following a career as Director of Human Resources for The Home Depot, where he supported over 35,000 employees across Kentucky, Tennessee and Indiana. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degree from The University of Tennessee. He and his wife, Jennifer, have two daughters.

“I think what separated me from other candidates in this process is that I have a vision to revolutionize the legal landscape of how legal services should be provided to average citizens,” Trumm said. “My goal is not only to go into practice but to fundamentally change the game.”

Class members will meet in Nashville for their first classes this weekend. The program will include DLI sessions, a leadership conference, public service luncheon and DLI caucus with the theme “Leadership and Diversity in the Profession.”

The Lincoln Memorial University-Duncan School of Law (LMU-DSOL) is located in Knoxville’s Historic Old City Hall Building. LMU-DSOL is an integral part of LMU’s values-based learning community, and is dedicated to preparing the next generation of lawyers to provide sound legal service in the often underserved region of Appalachia and beyond. For more information about LMU-DSOL, call 1-800-325-0900, ext. 5303 or visit us online at www.lmunet.edu/law.